Revetment, breakwater, pier, dock, and the like



March 6, 1934.

RBVETMENT,

w. SYKES ET AL 1,950,070

BREAKWATER, PIER, DOCK, AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 6, 1934.

REVETMENT, BREAKWATER, PIER, DOCK, AND THE} LIKE w. SYKES ET AL 1,950,070

March 6, 1934. w. SYKES El AL 1,950;070

REVETMENT, BREAKWATER, PIER, DOCK, AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 10, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 a A94 A 5 ,95

March 6, 1934. w. SYKES ET AL 350,070

REVETMENT, BREAKWATER, PIER, DOCK, AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 10, 1952 Patented Mar. 6, 1934 1 UNITED STATES REVETMENT, BREAKWATER, PIER, DOCK, AND THE LIKE Wilfred Sykes, Chicago,

111., and Frank V. Carroll,

East Chicago, Ind, assignors to Inland Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 10, 1932, Serial No. 642,090

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to revetments, piers, breakwaters, docks, and the like structures, and our primary object is to provide a novel type of such structures which will present the desired characteristics and which may be built at less cost, and installed with greater facility, than structures of this character as hitherto provided.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, are views of a revetment constructed in accordance with our invention and shown as installed in a position of use; Fig. 1 being a sectional view taken at the line 1 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow and showing in elevation the lower part of the pier through which the section is taken; Fig. 2, a plan view; Fig. 3, an enlarged vertical sectional view of one-half of one of the similar piers, this view being taken at the line 1 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional fragmentary View showing the means for connecting together adjacent intermediate ones of the ring sections of which the pier is formed, the section being taken at the line 1 on Fig. 2 and at the line 4 on Fig. 5; and Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view of the portion of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Figures 6 and '7 are views illustrating a dock structure constructed in accordance with our in vention; Fig 6 being a view like Fig. 1 and taken at the line 6 on Fig. '7 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 7, a plan view of the dock structure with a portion of the superstructure thereof broken away; and

Figures 8 and 9, views illustrating a modification of the revetment structure of Figs. 15; Fig. 8 being a view like Fig. 1 and taken at the line 8 on Fig. 9 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 9, a plan view of the revetment structure.

According to the broad idea of our invention the revetment, pier, breakwater, dock or the like structure comprises piers disposed therealong and provided in the form of shells, preferably cylindrical, disposed in upended position and charged With filling material and of such cross sectional dimension relative to the depth of water at the structure that the several piers in disconnected relation one to the other, or the structure formed of the piers connected together, as the case may be, will be capable, in the particular location of use, of resisting the external stresses to which they are subjected, as for example by the action of waves beating against them, or ice-jams. As will be understood, the desired ratio of cross-sectional dimension of the piers to the depth of water will vary depending on the particular conditions to be met at the particular location of the structure, such as for example the amount and character of the back fill as in a dock or revetment structure, the presence or absence of broken stone applied around the bases of the piers, the intensity of the wave action when present and the presence or absence of ice-floss, It may be stated, however, that the ratio of such cross-sectional dimension to the depth of water should not be less than 1 to 4.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1-5, the revetment structure therein shown comprises a series of piers 10 in the form of metal shells, preferably cylindrical and open at opposite ends, which are arranged in substantially vertical position to form a row thereof along the waters edge at which the revetment is to be built, these piers, which are shown of a diameter substantially equal to the depth of the Water at the revetment, resting at their lower ends on the bed below the water and being filled With any suitable heavy material, such as for 0 example sand, clay, or run-of-quarry stone, and which is represented at 11 and is shown as provided with a capping 12 formed of large fiat stones.

The piers shown are of a type comprising a vertical series of ring-shaped sections 13 each formed of a plurality of arcuate plates arranged in a circular series (each section being shown as nular horizontal flanges 16 and depending annular flanges 1'7 at which latter the rings span the horizontal joints referred to, these rings being secured to the plates in any suitable way, as for example by means of the bolts represented at 18, certain of these bolts extending through the lapped portions of the plates at the joints 14 and serving the double purpose of connecting the plates to the rings 15 and holding the plates to gether at the joints 14.

Rings 19 of the same construction as the rings i 15 and located at the top and bottom of the pier are secured at intervals, as for example by bolts, to the upper and lower ones of the sections 13, these bolts extending through the vertical lapped joints 14 of these sections.

The internally located rings referred to thus not only provide splices for the joints'between the shell-sections, but also serve to stifien the shell-structure to facilitate the handling thereof before it is placed in position and filled.

As will be understood, it is necessary in structures of this kind to so design the piers that they may withstand, with the desired margin of safety, the stress which is set up in the horizontal joints between the shell-sections due to the overturning moment applied to the pier in the case of severe storms. This may be provided for in any desirable way. Preferably, however, the pier is so designed that the above described means for connecting the sections 13 together at the horizontal joints will be sufficient to withstand, with the desired margin of safety, the stresses to which the pier is subjected in the handling thereof, and provision is made for withstanding the more severe tensile stresses to which the pier is subjected as above described, by welding the plates forming the sections 13 to certain of the rings 15 at those portions only of the pier at which such extra tensile stresses would be exerted. Thus, for example in the construction shown, the structure would be welded only at those horizontal joints which would be placed under this extra tensile stress, as for example at the second, third and fourth horizontal joints from the bottom of the pier, the structure being welded as indicated at and 21, this welding extending throughout only short portions of the circumference of the shellstructure as for example over the circumferential areas indicated on Fig. 2 from X to Y and from X to Y.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the dock construction therein shown comprises a series of piers represented at 22 and of the same construction as the piers 10 with certain additional features as hereinafter described. 7

The series of piers 22 is surmounted by a concrete capping structure 23 of girderlike form extending along the series of the piers and extending laterally beyond the latter at the water side to prevent injury to the piers in the case of a vessel striking the dock.

The row of piers 22 is provided with any suitable means for supporting the concrete'capping 23, these means, in the particular construction shown, comprising a plate 24 upon which the concrete is cast, and framelike structures located interiorly and exteriorly, respectively, of the piers and underlying the plate.

The internal frameworks referred to for the several piers and which are located at the upper ends of the piers, each comprise a diametrically disposed bar 25, shown as an I-beam, and a series of cross bars 26, shown as I-beams, all of which are secured together, the cross bar 25 being secured at its ends to the plate portion of the upper shell section of the pier and the cross bars 26 being secured at their ends to the upper internal reinforcing ring corresponding with the ring 19 at the top of the structure of Fig. 3.

The exterior frameworks referred to each comprise a bar 27 located in the space between adjacent piers and secured thereto at its ends, and a cross bar 28 secured at its outer end to the bar 2'? and at its inner end to an I-beam 29 located between the adjacent piers and secured thereto.

The plate 24 in practice would be anchored to the frameworks referred to in any suitable way, as for example by bolting or riveting it thereto as represented at 2l of the connection between the plate 24 and the one of the I-beams shown in Fi 6.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the construction therein shown is the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, except for the addition of means protecting the interior surface of the shell-like pier from corroding, as for example when installed in salt Water. In accordance with this modification the shell structure of the pier is provided with a concrete lining represented at 30 and which may be formed by concentrically positioning therein cylinders 31 of smaller diameter to provide an annular space into which concrete to form the lining 30 is poured, this being preferably done after the piers are in place and the filling of sand, clay, or other suitable material and represented at 32 thereafter charged into the interior of the cylinders 31.

If the piers are placed on a clay bottom, with or without sand superposed thereon, it is desirable, where the structure is to be exposed to the action of waves, to place crushed stone alongside the piers as represented at 33 and 34 on Figs. 1 and 8, respectively, primarily to prevent the scouring action of the water from undermining the piers, especially when the clay is superposed by sand, (the stone at the land side of the piers being needed only in those cases in which considerable time elapses before the filling is applied at the land side) it being understood that the stone placed alongside the piers as stated, when placed on top of sand, will eventually sink through the latter to the clay beneath. If these piers are placed on a stone bottom the use of crushed stone to prevent the scouring action referred to above would not be necessary but by preference a bed of crushed stone would be placed beneath the piers to provide a level footing, the piers thereafter being filled with the filling material referred to.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the piers may be fabricated in the simplest possible manner and if desired erected complete on the shore adjacent to the work. The placing of the piers is a relatively simple matter. They may be moved to the desired location of use by the aid of a suitable derrick or in some cases they might even be floated to the place of use by inserting false bottoms in the shell structures.

The provision of the revetment, breakwater, pier or dock structure of such form as not to present a continuous flat surface at an angle to the waves striking the structure, and preferably by providing the piers of cylindrical form, is of advantage as the overturning moment of the structure is greatly reduced because of the fact that a wave striking a pier of this construction will have part of its action diverted into a vertical motion of the water at the spaces where the cylinders are adjacent inasmuch as the water driven into these wedgelike shaped spaces will rise vertically.

While we have illustrated and described certain particular embodiments of our invention, we do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be embodied in other forms of structure and those shown may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A structure of the class described comprising: in combination: an aligned series of individually placed cylinders of relatively squat proportions to resist overturning by stresses of service; each cylinder comprising concentric inner and outer cylinders, and a filling of concrete between said inner and outer cylinders; and a filling of weighting material within the inner cylinders.

WILFRED SYKES. FRANK V. CARROLL. 

